Container



' July 20, 19 J. CEREGHlNb CONTAINER- Filed March 26, 1941 I mv NTOR INJ; 9

41. $5M ATTORNEYS Patented July 20, 1943 UNITED STATES- PATTENT OFFICE-Am'erican Gan Company, -New York, N. Y., a corporation of New JerseyApplicationMarch 26, 1941,Se1 "ial No. 385,361

. 2 Claims. This invention relates to band sealed sheet metal cans orcontainers 'of the key opening variety and has particular reference toaripstrip set off by a score line in the wall of a sealing band used tohermetically seal lined hemmed cover and body edges in an end joint,which cover may, be readily detached from the can by application of asuitable key adapted to pry and engage a projecting tongue end of such astrip by .a suitable key. having a slotted shank which is'used'to engagethe tongue and wind off the rip strip by severing it along the scoreline thereby destroying the band seal and exposing the flanged edges ofthe body and cover. Another object of the invention is the proviand tosever the strip along the score line and sion of a rip-strip formed by ascored wall in after removal of the band the freed cover may the sealingring of a band sealed container wherebe'lifted from the container. insuch a ring is adapted to embrace the out- The invention contemplatesthe provision of a wardlyhemmed edges on both'a flanged body and bandsealed container of the typecommonly ema countersunk gasket or compoundlined cover ployed in packing fish, meat and the like, which 5 in ahermetically sealed end joint, such rip-strip is adapted to behermetically sealed by a U- upon being severed, permitting removal ofthe shaped band or ring having circumferential upper band seal anduncovering the smooth hemmed and lower walls or flanges which embracethe edges of the container and its cover. peripheral mating edges of alined cover and Numerous other objects and advantages of the body, theedges of which are hemmed to make invention will be apparent as it isbetter under a solid seatand a. rigid shoulder for the recepstood fromthe following description, which, tion of a usual form-of sealing gasketor'comtaken in connection with the accompanying drawpouhd disposedtherebetween. The sealing band, ing, discloses a preferred embodimentthereofl is preferably formed of thin malleable metal Referring to thedrawing which is easily bent into shape such a band hav- Figure 1 is'aplan view of a container sealed ing a scored orweakened line out in theinner or by a scored band in accordance with the present. upper wall andsetting off a rip-strip, such a ripinvention and showing a key foropening the strip having the usual tongue projecting there same; o ofrom and overlapping the terminal edges of the 1 Fig. 2 is asideelevation of a band'sealed consealing band. V tainer; and The instanttype container is also provided Fig.3 is an enlarged fragmentary detailwith a specially designed opening key whichis section as viewed alongthe line 33 (Fig. 1) attached to the cover of the container in asuitshowing the hemmed cover'and body edges united able manner, as bywelding, and which is adapted by the scored band. to be broken "off at adefinite weakened'section As a preferred embodiment of the invention ofthe key. Such a key may have a flattened there is shown in the drawing aband sealed conand slotted shank, the shank having angula or tainer I I,having a tubular bod i2 which is V-s'haped edges for prying beneath thetearing joined together with a usual form of side seam tongueto raiseit'for engagement in the slot of joint l3 (Fig. 2). The lower end of thebody has the shank by means of'which the rip-strip may 40 a bottom endmember attached thereto in any besevered along the weakened line as itis Wound suitable manner as by a double seam I4. around the key. Thelower and remaining parts The upper portion of the container body 12 isof the sealing band thereupon drop away from bent outwardly to provide asubstantially hori-* the hemmed edges of the cover and body and thezontal flange or shoulder 15 (Fig. 3) which has uncovered edges then maybe pried apart by inits outer marginal terminal edge folded downsertinga V-shaped edge of the opening key therewardly and inwardly into ahemmed edge 16. between after which can and cover are easily Such ahemmed edge flange, surrounding the separated .and the contents exposed,ready for open end of a container body, tends to maintain use. it in itscylindrical form and also provides a An object of the invention is theprovision of smooth and rigid sealing surface bordering upon a rip-stripcontained in an upper wall of a U- the mouth of the container. shapedsealing band .and set off by a scored or A cover I! is arranged to closethe mouth of weakened line out in a marginal edge of the the containerand is formed with a countersunk wall, which band hermetically sealsadjacent outsection orpanel l8, bordered by an annular upwardlyprojecting flanges of a can body and a standing wall which is arrangedto frictionally This gasket allows for the hermetic sealing of thecontainer. Such a sealing material may be deposited upon the coverflange while in a liquid state in a conventional manner, prior to thecover being assembled with the container.

An annular U-shaped sealing band or ring 25 is formed with an outer orupper wall 26 and a substantially parallel inner or lower wall 21. The

upper wall 26 has an annular scored or weakened section 28 cut on theinner surface which is preferably located at the outer margin of thewallwhere it merges into a curved connecting Wall 29 of the sealing band.The weakened section 28 is adapted to set off a tearing or rip-strip 32in the upper wall 26. The rip-strip has an extended tongue 33 (Figs. 1and 2) which overlaps the terminal end of the sealing band and which isarranged for engagement with an opening key for the removal of therip-strip.

An opening key 34 (Fig. 1) preferably of the break-01f type, may beattached to the cover I1 in any suitable manner as by welding. Such akey is made from a strip of round wire stock and is formed into a bodyor'shank section 35 with a looped or handle section 36 at one end. Theshank section 35 is flattened and an elongated slot or opening 31 is cutin the flattened section midway between the handle and the shank end ofthe key. Such a slot provides for engagement of the tearing tongue ofthe container in the usual manner for the removal of the tearing stripin opening the container.

The key 34 has a weakened section 38 and an adjacent tail part 39 weldedto the cover and Y which remains secured to the cover afterthe key hasbeen removed. The upper flattened wall of the key shank 35 (Fig. 1) hasits opposite edges beveled as at 42 in V-shaped or angularfledged parts.

Upon removal of the opening key 34 from the container cover of a sealedcontainer, one ofthe' v-shaped edges 42 is used to pry or raise thetearing tongue 33 so that the slot 31 in the flattened shank may bepositioned over the tongue and V the rip-strip 32 is then wound off asthe key is turned in the usual manner, this action severing along thescore line 28 and separating the upper wall 26 from the ring seal 25.

Upon the removal of the tearing strip 32,'the

remainder of the sealing band 25 drops from its sealing position andexposes the hemmed edges I5' and 22 of body and cover. One of thetapered edges 42 on the flattened shank of the key 34 may then beinserted between the hemmed body and cover edges or directly into thesealing material 24 to separatethe parts. Where the container has beenvacuumized this breaks the vacuum seal after which the cover may beseparated easily. This opens the container and exposes its contents. 4 r

The hemmed edge of the opened container is smooth having no raw or roughedges exposed. The cover may be reinserted into the mouth of thecontainer in a friction fit when desired to serve as a temporaryreclosure.

It is thought thatthe invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

l. A hermetically sealed sheet metal container; comprising a tubularbody having alaterally extended flange at its outer end constitutinghshoulder terminating: in' a hemmed edge, a cover for said body havingadepressed coun tersunk section defined by an upstanding wall disposed infrictional engagement with the interior wall of 'said body, said wanmerging into an outwardly extended flange terminating in a hemmed edge,a sealing gasket interposed between the body shoulder and the coverflange; and a; sealing ring for sealing the container, said sealing;ring having upper and lower substantially parallelannular constitute aremovable rip -strip, said rip-strip.

being severable from said sealing ring to break said sealed jointandpermit rernoval of the cover when the sealing ring is thus removedgy1" 2. A hermetically sealed sheet metal container,

comprising a 9 1 9 1 5 bQdy aving-a latera ly-6 tending flangeatone endconstituting 'a shoulr.

der, a countersunk cover having anj upstanding wall portion disposed infrictionalengagemeht with. the interiorwall of said body an'dterminating in a laterally extending flangevcorresponding to and engaging thesaid bodyshoulder when the parts are assemblediandia' sealing ringhavingannular spaced flange in a ring sealed joint, one of said parallelsealing ring walls being set off by a peripheral score linefrom theremainder of said ring to con stitute a' removable rip-strip forseparating the V spaced ring walls in opening the containers JOSEPHCEREGHINO.

substantially. parallel. :walls: adapted to embracethe body. shoulderand 'cover

